


Sunlight

by Killjoy013



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: "Redeemed" Azula, Azula doesn't need a redemption she just needs a support system and space away from the crown., Dialogue Heavy, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/F, Happy Azula (Avatar), Happy Katara (Avatar), Katara has trauma too., Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Canon, Post-Canon Fix-It, Slice of Life, Soft girlfriends.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-19 01:08:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29991579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killjoy013/pseuds/Killjoy013
Summary: Katara and Azula have been dating for while. They have decided to take a vacation in the Earth Kingdom all to themselves. Katara wants Azula to officially meet her family. Azula want her family to forget about her. Katara wants to tell Azula truly how she feels. Azula needs to show Katara how she makes her feel. And Yet, they always seem to be interrupted sooner or later.Fluff. Low stakes.One shot (for now)
Relationships: Azula/Katara (Avatar)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 89





	Sunlight

**Author's Note:**

> I love Kazula/Azutara. So. Much. They're foils. They're opposites attracted. They're badass ladies in love. I need them to be soft. I've seen enough of them being enemies and rough to each other. Soft sincerity is in.
> 
> Thank you to my friend, Sci, for betaing and letting me yell about Azula and Katara.

#  **_Sunlight_ **

_All the tales the same_

_Told before and told again_

_A soul that's born in cold and rain_

_Knows sunlight, sunlight, sunlight_

_And at last can grant a name_

_To a buried and a burning flame_

_As love and its decisive pain_

_Oh, my sunlight, sunlight, sunlight_

* * *

Katara groaned at the feeling of another person leaving their inn bed. The covers were thrown back on her and a warm hand moved the hair from her face. Katara pouted for a kiss. 

"No, I haven't brushed my teeth yet."

"Kiss," Katara demanded sleepily. Her eyes weren't even open. 

"For all you know, I could be a thief who can mimic your girlfriend's voice." Azula chuckled, her fingers running through Katara's loose hair. 

"Please?"

There was a soft sigh before her girlfriend leaned down to kiss her forehead. Katara hummed her thanks. 

"Breakfast?"

"Please." 

Azula hummed and left their bedroom. Katara buried her face into Azula's pillow as she always did when she left. She floated in and out of slumber, hearing her lover bump around in the kitchen. The door opened again. Katara peeked her head from the covers to see Azula with two cups. She placed them down on their dresser. 

"Up. C'mon, Kat, go get dressed." Azula said, shaking her slightly. 

"Noooo."

"Yes. You'll let the food get cold."

"You're a firebender."

"It doesn't taste the same heated up."

Katara whined loudly to make Azula pity her and let her sleep. It didn't work. 

"Alright. You asked for this." 

Katara pulled the covers tightly around her but it was too late. Azula ripped them off and began her assault on her ribs. Katara shrieked out a laugh, trying to bat away her hand but to no avail. 

"St-stop! Azula!"

"I don't see you up."

"You're on top of me!" Katara giggled. 

Azula paused, a smile creeping on her lips. 

"So, it seems." 

"Get off so I can get dressed, you tyrant."

"Hey! You wanted breakfast. Don't get whiney at me, 'Tara."

"I will do whatever I damn well, please. I'm a war hero, y'know?"

"You're so dramatic." Azula grinned leaning down to peck Katara's cheek. 

"You're one to talk."

"If you're not up in half an hour, I'm zapping you." 

"You wouldn't. You like me too much, baby."

Azula blushed, as she always did when Katara called a pet name. She got off of Katara and handed her a cup. 

"Drink. It's water. The other is tea."

Katara sat up and stretched before resting her hand over Azula's, watching the other girl reddened. 

"Thank you, sweetie." 

"Take the damn cup already."

Katara giggled as she sipped at the ice-cold water. Azula handed her the tea before opening the dresser. 

"What do you think?" Azula asked after a sip. 

"It's sweet." 

"It's jasmine from the one in the yard."

"I like it."

"Good, because I made a lot." 

Azula tossed Katara some clothes and turned on her heel and left. Katara looked down at the robe, it was her shade of blue but it was silk. Azula had bought it for her after she saw her eyeing it at the store. Katara smiled, jumping up to get dressed. Twenty minutes later, she emerged from the bedroom into the kitchen. Sunlight streamed in, tinting the room golden. It was like a daydream.

Azula was making her a rice bowl with whale meat, Katara would know that familiar smell if she was in a coma. 

"Where'd you get this?" 

"The pier we rode past," Azula mumbled. 

"We didn't stop there."

"I know. I went back when you were asleep." 

Katara hugged her from behind, her arms sliding around her waist. She pressed a kiss to Azula's clothed shoulder before nuzzling into her neck. Azula relaxed into her embrace as she continued to make their plates. 

"You're so sweet."

"Don't let my brother hear you say that."

"He doesn't know about us, yet, remember?"

"Not for lack of trying," Azula murmured. Katara bit her lip, that conversation could wait. Azula wiggled out of her grasp to lead her girlfriend to the table. Katara sat down and her food was put right in front of her, still steaming. 

They were by the Fire Nation, in a liberated colony during a week-long summer festival. The vacation was coming to an end but it was the most fun Katara's ever had.

Katara watched Azula flit around the kitchen to grab water for them and then utensils and _then_ Azula grabbed her own food and sat down. 

Azula's hair was down, some of it falling in her face. Katara reached over to tuck it behind her ears. Azula without makeup was always a treat. Katara traces the scar on her brow and the other on her cheek. Azula hummed, leaning into the touch. Katara smiled as Azula turned her head and pressed a kiss to her hand. Dark bronze eyes looked up at her fondly. 

"Eat. Before it gets cold."

"Yes, Princess." 

Azula rolled her eyes. Katara picked up a strip and took a bite. It was tender and sweet. Katara smiled her appreciation. 

"I told you about that. I don't like that title anymore. Tell me if I made it the way you like it." Azula said, pouring herself water.

"Then baby it is. And it's perfect. Thank you."

"I walked right into that one, didn't I?"

"Eat your food, baby."

Azula shook her head, biting back a smile. They ate in comfortable silence. Katara stole a piece of Azula's fish. 

"You won't like it," Azula said, watching her take a bite. The Waterbender coughed and immediately reached for her water. 

"Why is it spicy?"

"I like spicy."

"You don't have taste buds." 

"My taste buds work just fine. I told you that you wouldn't like it.."

"Eat mine."

Azula looked down at the red lean meat with apprehension. Katara rolled her eyes and picked up a piece. She leaned over the table, holding it up to her lover's lips.

"I'm fine, Katara." 

"Say ahh." 

Azula glanced back down at Katara's hands. She slowly opened her mouth and took a bite, careful of her fingers. Katara loved to do this. She had been slowly, over the span of months, getting her girlfriend accustomed to Southern Water Tribe food. Azula's eyes lit up so she knew her girlfriend liked it. 

"It's alright," Azula mumbled, taking the other half.

"So you like it?" Katara said, picking up another piece. 

"It's for _you._ I don't want you to feed me."

"You made a lot, take another piece."

Azula merely raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth. 

"I thought you didn't want me to feed you?" Katara grinned, picking up a bigger strip. 

"Well, you might as well make yourself useful."

"We spoil each other."

"We deserve it." 

When Azula went to take half of it, Katara let go of it, letting the meat flop on her chin. Azula grabbed the end of the meat and pulled a part off. 

"Brat," Azula muttered through a mouthful as Katara giggled. 

"If you like it, just say it. Next time, I go home, I'll bring you some."

"Next month, right?"

They had a routine. Katara would stay at home for months at a time, helping them rebuild and make room for more people then she would meet Azula, wherever the firebender was, and stay for while there too. Azula never made her choose between her or the Southern Water Tribe. Katara could tell Azula missed her when she left but Azula was either too proud or too shy to admit it. It's alright, Katara could see straight through her. Azula let Katara take the lead most of the time. If Katara wanted something, she'd be better off asking directly. 

"Yes, ma'am. I want to ask you something, baby. You don't have to if you don't want to."

"Go on." 

"I...do you want people to know about us?" 

Azula paused, nibbling on the last chunk of whale. Katara fidgeted on the spot. Azula, contrary to popular belief, wasn't a talker. She was all action if anything. 

"Do you?" Azula asked simply. 

Katara nodded, "I...you make me happy. I want them to see how you make me feel. I know it would be a lot for you and for us but-" 

"Okay." 

"Just like that?"

"If you want to, I'll do it. But, Kat, it probably won't be all positive."

"I know that. I'm my own person. They'll just have to deal with it." 

Azula beamed, a rare sight indeed, and leaned over to kiss Katara fully. Katara squeaked, cupping her girlfriend's cheeks. Azula pulled away sometime between a moment and a lifetime. Katara leaned her forehead against Azula's and smiled wildly. 

It was on the tip of her tongue. Katara could feel her emotions overflowing almost making their way out her mouth before she stopped herself. 

_I love you._

"You should come home with me." Katara said instead. 

Azula froze and pulled away to look at Katara in the eyes. 

"What?"

"I...I want to take you home. Meet my father. Gran-Gran. Hama." 

Azula was tensing up so Katara ran her hands up her arms softly. Azula was getting that far away look that meant bad things. Katara grounded her by placing a kiss on her nose. Azula blinked before looking up at Katara with those light brown eyes. 

"Can I think about it?"

"Of course. Yeah. Yeah, you can do that. I just wanted to put it on the table." 

Azula nodded and resumed eating. 

Katara felt like she popped the bubble of serenity until Azula reached over to hold her hand. Azula's hand was cold which meant she was nervous. 

"One step at a time? I think they'll need time to adjust before they see my face." Azula offered. 

Katara kissed the back of Azula's hand and nodded. 

"We can do that."

There was a screech of a hawk outside that made both of them jump. Azula pulled away to open the window. It was Hawky. 

"You expecting mail from your brother?" Azula asked, grabbing the thick roll of letters. 

Katara blinked. 

"No. That's odd. Sokka never writes that much. I've only been gone for two weeks. Open it."

"It's your mail."

"Open it. And Hawky likes to nip so watch your fingers."

Azula glanced at the bird before opening the letter. A gift was wrapped in the letter. 

"If he bites the first two ones, I won't feel it anyway."

"You should let me do something about that."

Azula waved her off politely. 

"Ah. It's from Sokka, Aang, Zuzu, and Suki. They want you to stop by Caldera before you go home. Your best friend said he'd pick you up on his beast if you wanted. Uh, blah blah, they love and miss you, Aang found more flying bison and monks, blah blah, Suki added more people to her girl gang, more filler, Toph says she may have invented a new sport called Pro-Bending. Zuzu is whining about being Fire Lord….again. It must be so hard to win." 

Katara sat there amused, watching Azula summarize weeks' worth of words. 

"What's my gift?"

"Toph and Aang made earrings for you with sapphire."

"Oh, pretty, gimme." 

Azula handed her the gift and fed scraps to Hawky absentmindedly as she opened a second, significantly smaller letter. She opened the letter, sped-read, and tossed it in the trash. 

"Who?"

"That was for me. My mother." Azula said shortly. 

"Azula…"

"I don't know what she's getting at, Kat, sending me letters all the time like she cares. Besides, I only told her I was in the area to get her off my back for traveling."

"Maybe she's trying to care. Can I see?"

Azula sighed as she gave it to her. Katara flatted the letter to see its neat calligraphy. 

"Her handwriting is pretty like yours."

"You learn in the Royal Academy how to write like a lady. She probably had tutors when she joined the court."

"She wants you home too," Katara said softly. Azula only hummed in response, clenching her jaw.

"I know. Something about meeting someone special. I'll pass. I don't need a consort or anything of the sort." 

"You're not going to Caldera with me?" 

"I will. I'll just avoid Ursa."

"Well, we could take Appa back. That way we can tell the gang either on the way or right when we get there." Katara offered.

"They'll throw me off that bison."

"You can firebend." 

"Ouch. You wouldn't even protect me, darling?"

The pet name must have slipped out but it made Katara beam as she saw Azula blush at her own words.

"Darling? I would protect my baby from the big bad avatar." Katara teased. 

"I could take him. If they all dog-pile on me, I would have to use you as a body shield or a hostage so I could get away. Maybe you could pretend to be a damsel in distress." Azula smirked. 

Katara snorted. 

"Damsel in distress. I'll make you distressed." Katara tried to shoot back. 

Azula laughed at the weak comeback. 

"You already do. What do you want to do today?"

Katara hummed. 

"Stay in bed. We can tell each other stories. I'll let you read me those history books you like but only the ones before or not about the war."

"Those are the best ones anyway. Those have dragons."

"You and dragons."

"They're dragons, Kat, _dragons._ It's a damn shame what happened to them."

Katara bit her lip. Aang mentioned meeting Ren and Shaw to her when he was visiting her tribe. Katara knew if Azula knew, she wouldn't see her girlfriend until she came back with a dragon. 

"That's your family's fault."

"Don't remind me. I still don't get it. I would have trained them into the family. A dragon heirloom."

"That would have been fun. You're already like a dragon."

"Cold-blooded? Natural born killer? A talented firebender?"

"Dramatic." Katara countered taking a sip of Azula's tea. 

Azula narrowed her eyes and smiled wickedly. 

Katara squeaked as Azula picked her up out of the chair and threw her over her shoulder. 

"I didn't finish my rice!" Katara giggled. 

"Hush. Bend your knees." 

Azula carried her like a sack of potatoes through rooms. Azula went to the bookshelves, picked a few after a moment of pondering, and tossed Katara on the bed. 

Katara rolled her eyes and sat up. 

"You wanna go first or can I?" Katara asked. 

"You can start first. Tell me anything."

"How about a story?"

Azula closed the book she was thumbing through and nodded. 

"Sedna. You know her?" 

Azula shook her head as she closed the curtains and climbed into bed. Katara smiled. 

"Sedna is the mother of the sea and everything in it. She was beautiful. All the hunters in the village wanted her. The sweetest hunter in the village, who made jewelry for her every month out of pearls and bones, asked to marry her. Sedna kissed his cheek and refused. The strongest hunter who managed to kill a whale with only one spear throw fell to his knees and asked, begged, for her hand. Soon enough she said no to every man in the village. Her father was furious and took her out on a kayak to talk. Sedna said she would never marry any man. She said she would rather marry a dog."

"Good for her."

"Well, he threw her off that kayak. Sedna grasped at the side of the boat as the waves threatened to conquer her. She clawed her way up to the side and held on for dear life. But when she pulls herself up, her father, done with such a disobedient child, cuts her fingers off. As she sunk to the bottom, her fingers became seals and Sedna became a vengeful mighty goddess. Storms and blizzards ravaged the village. She never allowed the animals to be hunted."

"She killed the village?"

"No. The hunters fell to their knees and prayed for mercy leaving offerings in the sea. Sedna's heart softened. She let them hunt for more offerings and prayer."

"To make up for her suffering. Or at least, try to, you can't make up for what you have done. You can only get better. Only move forward."

Katara hummed, pulling Azula close. The ex-princess laid on Katara's stomach and sighed. 

"Can I touch your hair while you talk?" Katara asked, her thumb stroking Azula's cheek.

"Uh-huh."

Katara ran her fingers through her girlfriend's dark brown hair. Azula's skin, and Katara's, had tanned considerably during their vacation. Azula looked the prettiest like this. Relaxed, a lazy smile on her lips, and her hair down. 

"You're beautiful." Katara sighed. 

Azula laughed. 

“Hm. Storytime. When I was a child, really small, I had fevers all the time but I was about 4 when it got bad. When a firebender has fevers so young, it means that they are going to burn from the inside out or be a powerful bender. I remember burning up. Zuko wasn't allowed around me in case he got it. Ursa took him to Ember Island. My Aunt took care of me."

"Your Aunt Jasmine, right?"

"Her name was Jasmine, yeah. Iroh was her husband. She was the best thing to happen to me. But she took care of me. Even when the Palace's healer had it, she would be there, making me eat and drink and take my medicine. I wasn't getting better for a couple of days. When my temperature was one degree from deadly, my fever broke."

"And then?" 

"Then I got better. Zuzu came home and it was like nothing happened. I was skinnier but that year I started firebending for the first time. Zuko didn't make a spark until he was 7."

Katara could see the proud smile on Azula's face. 

"Gran Gran said I used to stir the stew when Mama wasn't looking."

"Helpful even back then. I'll make a selfish woman out of you one day, Katara."

"Never."

"Mark my words," Azula said seriously before she nuzzled into Katara's stomach. 

Katara ran her fingers through Azula's silky thick hair. Azula started to blink slowly. Katara smiles and hummed a song she had heard in Ba Sing Se.

"...but the girls in the city, they look so pretty." Azula finished before asking, "Where do you know that from? That's an old Fire Nation song."

"I have no clue. It just came into my head."

Azula chuckled and pressed a kiss on Katara's clothed hip, "That's a navy song."

"A navy song?"

"It's an old one before the war. Drunk navy boys would sing it whenever they left or arrived at the piers of Ba Sing Se. Not in Common so the people of the Earth Kingdom wouldn't know but…"

Katara giggled, "I think….I heard Zuko singing it."

"Zuzu? Then he got it from Iroh."

"That makes sense. Zuko sounds terrible when he sings. Like a dying Komodo Rhino."

Azula laughed. 

"It was worse when his voice cracked. We had to sing the Fire Nation national anthem during our warmups."

Katara giggled, "I can't imagine that."

"Trust me, you don't want to." Azula mumbled, closing her eyes. 

"Sleepytime?"

"Pillows don't talk." 

Katara smiled and ran her thumb along Azula's jawline. 

"Night night." Katara teased. 

Azula kissed her hand before settling. 

_I love you._

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked this, you totally should comment and leave kudos so I know what you like and don't like. Also if you want more of this, let me know! Constructive criticism and/or commentary is super helpful and appreciated! Thanks for reading! Stay safe. 
> 
> KJ Riot xx


End file.
